Oklahoma · United States

Oklahoma City travel guide

Oklahoma City is a city in Oklahoma, United States, home to about 681,000 people.

Best months
March
Nearest airport
OKC11 km · OKC Will Rogers World Airport
Currency
USDUnited States dollar
Time zone
America/Chicago
Language
Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian

About

About Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City ( OH-klə-HOH-mə -⁠), often shortened to OKC, is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the 21st-most populous U.S. city and 8th largest in the Southern United States, with a population of 681,054 at the 2020 census.

Oklahoma City is the largest city in the state, as well as its political, cultural, and economic engine. The city is the nation's third largest city in land area (620 sq miles / 1,600 km2), just behind Jacksonville, Florida (759 sq miles / 1966 km2) and way behind Anchorage, Alaska (1698 sq miles / 4398 km2). It is about the same size as Greater London, an urban area with 13 times as many inhabitants.

Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.

Things to do

What to see and do in Oklahoma City

See

Many of the attractions are near downtown or on the north side of town. Highlights in downtown are Bricktown, the city's fast growing entertainment district and tourist showpiece, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, home to the largest collection of Chihuly glass in the world as well as an arthouse/revival theater and a restaurant, and The Myriad Gardens, an impressive urban park with a seven-storey botanical garden. North of the museum is the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, which commemorates the Oklahoma City bombing. The memorial is one of the most visible attractions in the city, and its saddest, which has posed some problems for the city's tourism department.

Do

Water Taxi of Oklahoma offers a narrated canal cruise on the Bricktown canal. The Oklahoma City Thunder National Basketball Association team play in Bricktown. Frontier City is a Wild West-themed amusement park in the city's Northeast with roller coasters and water rides. The Wheeler Ferris Wheel at Wheeler District offers rides overlooking Oklahoma River and the downtown skyline.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.

When to go

The best time to visit Oklahoma City

The most comfortable months for a city stay in Oklahoma City are March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 35 °C; May is the wettest, with about 139 mm of rain.

-2°16°35°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec139 mm
Average highAverage lowRain per monthComfortable months

Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).

Getting there

Getting to Oklahoma City: airports and arrival

The nearest airport with scheduled flights is OKC Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line; Stillwater Regional Airport (SWO, 86 km) and Lawton Fort Sill Regional Airport (LAW, 130 km) are also within reach.

Getting around

Getting around Oklahoma City is easy by car. If you're coming to OKC, you will likely want to either rent a car or plan on staying around downtown, because public transportation is rather limited. There is pretty good bus service around downtown, to the airport, and to the cluster of museums and attractions in the northeastern part of the city, but if you want to explore the rest of the city without renting a car, you'll either have to use the not-too-stellar parts of bus system or call a cab. A streetcar system operates in downtown.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.

large airport

OKC · OKC Will Rogers World Airport

11.4 km from the centreICAO KOKC
medium airport

SWO · Stillwater Regional Airport

85.8 km from the centreICAO KSWO
medium airport

LAW · Lawton Fort Sill Regional Airport

129.5 km from the centreICAO KLAW

Local knowledge

Eating, drinking and staying safe in Oklahoma City

Eat

Oklahoma City can hold its own with any other cosmopolitan city with its availability of diverse and quality eateries, but what is true Oklahoma City fare is probably its bar-b-que and steakhouse options. Some, like Cattleman's, are iconic, and guaranteed to add that special touch to your Oklahoma City trip. For eating on the fly, there are several franchises like Rib Crib and Freddy's Frozen Custard around the city that will take care of bbq and dessert cravings in a pinch.

Drink

"Last call" is 2AM in Oklahoma City and its environs. Liquor stores are permitted to open six days a week from 6AM to 9PM (by state law) and on Sunday from noon to midnight (depending upon the county). Oklahoma's prices for spirits and wine tend to be lower than that of nearby states, including Texas. Beer and wine can be sold at grocery stores and other shops, but hard liquor is sold in bars, restaurants, and liquor stores. That being said, Oklahoma City has a lively nightlife scene in places like Downtown and the 39th Street Enclave. There are Henry Hudson's locations throughout OKC and surrounding suburbs which offer a casual bar atmosphere with occasional karaoke.

Stay safe

A little bit of common sense goes a long way. On the whole, the city is quite safe, but you shouldn't take that as a cue to be careless. If you're downtown or in what looks like a sketchy neighborhood, nothing will probably happen to you, but you should still lock your car door, keep your valuables secure, and not put yourself in potentially dangerous situations.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.

Questions

Oklahoma City: questions travellers ask

When is the best time to visit Oklahoma City?

The most comfortable months for a city stay in Oklahoma City are March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 35 °C; May is the wettest, with about 139 mm of rain.

Which airport is closest to Oklahoma City?

The nearest airport with scheduled flights is OKC Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line; Stillwater Regional Airport (SWO, 86 km) and Lawton Fort Sill Regional Airport (LAW, 130 km) are also within reach.

What currency is used in Oklahoma City?

United States dollar (USD).

Nearby

Destinations near Oklahoma City

Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.